Traditional, 'Musselburgh Field'

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Musselburgh Field
(Percy Battle, 1547)

On the tenth day of December,
And the fourth yeere of King Edwards raigne,
Att Musleboorrowe, as I remember,
Two goodly hosts there mett on a plaine

All that night they camped there,
Soe did the Scotts, both stout and stubborne;
But, "Welladay," it was their song,
For we haue taken them in their owne turne.

Over night they carded for our English mens coates;
They fished before their netts were spunn;
A white for sixpence, a red for two groates;
Now wisdome woud haue stayed till they had been woone.

Wee feared not but that they wold fight,
Yett itt was turned vnto their owne paine;
Thoe against one of vs that they were eight,
Yett with their owne weapons wee did them beat.

On the twelfth day in the morne
The made a face as the wold fight,
But many a proud Scott there was downe borne,
And any a rank coward was put to flight.

But when they heard our great gunnes cracke,
Then was their harts turned into their hose;
They cast down their weapons, and turned their backes,
They ran so fast that the fell on their nose.

The Lord Huntly, wee had him there;
With him hee brought ten thousand men,
Yett, God be thanked, wee made them such a banquett
That none of them returned again.

We chased them to Dalkeith

Traditional (Child Ballad #172)